Swimming Test

[Thunderlight]

Hi,

I have been told you have to swim 40 metres for the Swimming Test which i can do, and tread for 3 mins which im not to strong at my best record was about 1 min 30 secs i was wondering if someone could give me some tips on treading in water cause when i tread in water i move my legs and arms around really quick which gets tiring after a while

Thanks

[RobInDaUK]

If you keep practicing treading water your legs and arms will get stronger..

[Thunderlight]

Yeah gotta work on the muscles

[Worthers Original]

Try asking one of the life guards at your pool to give you some pointers or else invest in a one to one lesson with a swim instructor. Explain what you want to do and why and get them to work with you. One lesson should be more than enough to get you on the right track and then just practice, practice, practice.

[Jagger]

There's two main methods of leg action for threading water. Corckscrew action and breastroke leg action. The breastroke one is the easiest on to learn so long as you know how to do breastroke? Get a couple of floats in each hand and just work on the breastroke leg action (vertically in the water of course). Bend your legs beneath you (but not up to the chest, up to your ass) then kick both of them outwards to your side and downwards at the same time, just as your legs are nearly fully extended bring them together again, then up into the starting position. Feet should be flexed upwards throughout. When you've got that down throw the floats away and work on the arm action. You arms should be out to your sides, bent slightly. Rotate your forearms, with wrists locked, in a figure "8" type motion. Whichever direction your forearm is moving, your palm should be faced that way. Keep your fingures closed also. It was hard teaching it to people in the pool, nevermind writing it lol.

If you don't know how to do breastroke legs try and get a friend to show you or join a few swimming classes ask the instructor to teach you it. If you can't throw me a PM, I was a lifeguard and lifesaving/swimming instructor for a few years when I was in school so i've quite a few books lying around which I could scan over to you, not ideal, but better than nothing I guess. If you get the technique down, you'll be able to thread water indefinitely if you're anyway in a fit state.

[Thunderlight]

hehe thanks very much for that !

[Jagger]

No problem. If you die or wake up with a fat lifeguard drooling all over your face you can take it that you haven't mastered the technique yet. If you keep drowning enough they might just give you some free lessons!

[Powder monkey]

Hi,

I have been told you have to swim 40 metres for the Swimming Test which i can do, and tread for 3 mins which im not to strong at my best record was about 1 min 30 secs i was wondering if someone could give me some tips on treading in water cause when i tread in water i move my legs and arms around really quick which gets tiring after a while

Thanks

with all due respect. If you have difficulty with your swimming, have you ever thought that a career in the navy might not be for you?

[Worthers Original]

Hi,

I have been told you have to swim 40 metres for the Swimming Test which i can do, and tread for 3 mins which im not to strong at my best record was about 1 min 30 secs i was wondering if someone could give me some tips on treading in water cause when i tread in water i move my legs and arms around really quick which gets tiring after a while

Thanks

with all due respect. If you have difficulty with your swimming, have you ever thought that a career in the navy might not be for you?

I think that giving up at such a small hurdle might be more of a preclusion.

[Hyperlithe]

My Dad couldn't swim at all when he joined the Navy - he soon learnt! It's not the end of the line, get down to your local pool and get some lessons, shouldn't take long.

[Thunderlight]

Yeah

[Hyperlithe]

Does anyone know why the Navy swimming test is 40m but the RAF aircrew swimming test is 100m? Seems the wrong way round to me...

[AdamR]

Is it true that in the days of old (well, up until quite recently, WWII-ish) sailors didn't learn to swim because they considered it unlucky?

[Thunderlight]

really? i know in the old days they use to kidnap people and put them on ships so they couldnt escape